An offbeat Icelandic romantic comedy about a 43-year-old virgin has won best narrative feature at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“Virgin Mountain” by the Icelandic filmmaker Dagur Kari also won best screenplay and best actor for Gunnar Jonsson in the festival honors announced Thursday night. The festival jury said the film’s mixture of humor and pathos “captured our hearts.”
“Bridgend,” a drama by the Danish director Jeppe Ronde about the recent teen suicide epidemic in the eponymous Welsh county, took the other narrative awards. The film won best actress for Hannah Murray, as well as best editing and cinematography.
Best documentary went to “Democrats,” Camilla Nielsson’s examination of the Zimbabwe government under president Robert Mugabe. The documentary was made with uncommon access over three years.
Meanwhile the winners of the Audience Awards, which are determined by audience votes throughout the Festival, will be announced on April 25. Here’s a rundown of the jury award winners:
WORLD NARRATIVE COMPETITION CATEGORIES
The jurors for the 2015 World Narrative Competition sponsored by AKA, were Paul Attanasio, Sophie Barthes, Whoopi Goldberg, Dylan McDermott, and Burr Steers.
· The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain, written and directed by Dagur Kári [Iceland, Denmark]. Winner receives $25,000.
· Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film –Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain (Iceland, Denmark). Winner receives $2,500.
· Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Hannah Murray as Sara in Bridgend (Denmark). Winner receives $2,500.
· Best Cinematography – Cinematography by Magnus Jønck for Bridgend (Denmark). Winner receives $5,000.
· Best Screenplay – Virgin Mountain written by Dagur Kári (Iceland, Denmark). Winner receives $5,000.
Best Narrative Editing – Bridgend edited by Oliver Bugge Coutté (Denmark). Winner receives $5,000 and $50,000 in postproduction services provided by Company 3.
WORLD DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION CATEGORIES
The jurors for the 2015 World Documentary Competition sponsored by Santander Bank, N.A., were Diego Bunuel, Tine Fischer, David Gelb, Joshua Rothkopf, and Gloria Steinem.
· Best Documentary Feature – Democrats, directed by Camilla Nielsson (Denmark). Winner receives $25,000.
Special Jury Mention: In Transit , directed by Albert Maysles, Nelson Walker, Lynn True, David Usui, and Ben Wu. (U.S.A)
· Best Documentary Editing – Palio, edited by Valerio Bonelli (U.K., Italy). Winner receives $5,000.
BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION
The jurors for the 2015 Best New Narrative Director Competition were Mark Boal, Minnie Driver, Don Hertzfeldt, Cobie Smulders, and Joana Vicente.
· Best New Narrative Director – Zachary Treitz director of Men Go To Battle (U.S.A). Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by The Walt Disney Studios, $50,000 in postproduction services provided by Company 3.
Special Jury Mention: Stephen Fingleton for The Survivalist (Northern Ireland, U.K.).
BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION
The jurors for the 2015 Best New Documentary Director Competition were Rachel Boynton, Lola Kirke, Will Patton, Alison Pill, and Michael Rapaport.
· Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award – Ewan McNicol and Anna Sandilands for Uncertain (U.S.A). Winner receives $25,000 sponsored.
Special Jury Mention: Erik Shirai for The Birth of Saké(U.S.A).
SHORT FILM COMPETITION CATEGORIES
The 2015 Best Narrative Short Competition jurors were Hank Azaria, Mamie Gummer, André Holland, Arian Moayed, Sheila Nevins, and Dan Silver.
· Best Narrative Short – Listen, directed by Hamy Ramezan and Rungano Nyoni (Finland, Denmark). Winner receives $5,000.
Special Jury Mention: Statistical Analysis of Your Failing Relationship directed by Miles Jay (U.S.A, Canada).
The 2015 Best Documentary and Student Visionary Award jurors were Steve Buscemi, Debi Mazar, Katherine Oliver, Theo Rossi, and Vanessa Williams.
· Best Documentary Short – Body Team 12 directed by David Darg (Liberia). Winner receives $5,000.
Special Jury Mention: We Live This directed by James Burns (U.S.A).
· Student Visionary Award – Catwalk directed by Ninja Thyberg (Sweden). Winner receives $5,000.
Special Jury Mention: Kingdom of Garbage, directed by Yasir Kareem (Iraq, U.K.).
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE STORYSCAPES AWARD
The 2015 BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Storyscapes Award recognizes groundbreaking approaches in storytelling and technology. Jurors were Andrew Golis, Shari Frilot, and Charlie Phillips.
● BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Storyscapes Award: Door Into the Dark created by Amy Rose and May Abdalla at Anagram (U.K.). Winner receives $10,000.
THE NORA EPHRON PRIZE
The 2015 Nora Ephron Prize jurors were Rachael Harris, Kevin Corrigan, Katja Blichfeld, Christine Lahti and Talya Lavie.
· The Nora Ephron Prize: Sworn Virgin, directed by Laura Bispuri and written by Francesca Manieri and Bispuri (Albania, Germany, Italy, Kosovo, Switzerland). Winner receives $25,000.
Special Jury Mention: Being 14 directed and written by Hélène Zimmer (France).
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More